The present invention relates to a magazine assembly for labels or the like in a labeling machine, comprising a main magazine provided with feed means for advancing the labels to a take-out position, and having connected thereto a support for a replaceable supply magazine in alignment with said main magazine, said support having one of its longitudinal sides formed with an entry opening for a full supply magazine, and another side, with an exit opening for an empty supply magazine, said entry opening communicating with a supply feed path adapted to contain a plurality of supply magazines.
A magazine assembly of the type defined above is known from DE-OS No. 21 53 169. The supply magazines are of rectangular cross-sectional shape and are fed to the support in the horizontal direction transversely of their longitudinal axis. For the transfer of their contents they are in alignment with the main magazine. Subsequently they are discharged from the assembly through the exit opening formed in a longitudinal side opposite the entry opening. Provisions for fixing the supply magazine in the support are not specified. The same applies to the automatization of the replacing operation.
Also known already is a magazine assembly in which the main magazine is composed of guide rails and substantially shorter than the trough-shaped support, or a likewise trough-shaped supply magazine supported therein (DE-OS No. 23 03 547). In this embodiment, the supply magazine acts as a guide for the labels over the length of the support, until the labels have been successively transferred into the main magazine by a feed means comprising a pair of pusher members. The supply magazine has thus to remain in the support until completely emptied. The length of this known magazine assembly is scarcely greater than that of a conventional label container, and the assembly is of very compact construction, so that a multiple arrangement in a labeling machine for the multiple labeling of bottles does not offer any difficulties. The known magazine assembly also provides for a noticeable facilitation for the operator, as it enables him to replenish the device with several thousand labels in a single operation. In addition, the subdivision of the magazine assembly into a main magazine fixedly connected to the labeling machine and having the important function of guiding the labels immediately before their being taken out, and a replaceable supply magazine having the less important function of guiding the labels in the rear portion of the magazine assembly, permits the employ of different types of supply magazines including embodiments thereof serving as a packing or shipping container from the label supplier to the label consumer.
There is a certain disadvantage, however, due to the fact that the rigid mounting of the lateral stops or guides for a supply magazine in the support permits a full supply magazine to be inserted into the support only from above and/or from the rear, and an empty magazine to be removed from the support only substantially upwards and/or rearwards. Particularly the insertion of a full supply magazine may, due to the considerable weight thereof, cause certain difficulties to the operator, moreover as this operation is not aided by any provisions for this purpose. This procedure for inserting and removing the supply magazines also constitutes an obstacle to a further facilitation or automatization of the replacement operation.
On the other hand, there is already known a label magazine assembly comprising a main magazine fixedly connected to a labeling machine and a replaceable supply magazine having substantially the same length, wherein the support is formed by a turntable disposed to the rear of the main magazine (DE-OS No. 21 45 508). Along its ueriphery the turntable carries a plurality of supply magazines which may also serve as shipping containers. After the supply magazine aligned with the main magazine has been completely emptied by a pusher member acting as the feed means, the turntable is indexed by an angular step for aligning a full supply magazine with the rear end of the main magazine. In this manner the work of the operator of the labeling machine is facilitated, and the replacement operation is capable of being automatized to a large extent.
A disadvantage, however, of this known magazine assembly is the highly complicated construction and the space requirement of the turntable including its drive and control arrangements, which acts as an obstacle to employ a multiple arrangement for the multiple labeling of bottles or the like. For this reason the described magazine assembly has not been accepted by the trade. In this context it is to be noted that a storage device for storing a plurality of supply magazines does not substantially shorten the overal time required for the replenishment of labels by the operator, because each supply magazine has still to be filled with labels or, in the case of the supply magazine being used as the shipping container, it has to be removed from its outer packing, and securing means possibly provided for safe shipping have to be released, before the supply magazine can be mounted on the turntable or other storage device. The described construction is rather effective to decisively extend the period between successive storage device filling operations, i.e. the buffer interval during which the operator is able to carry out various other operations. It is obvious that the label-processing industry is not prepared to invest relatively great sums for merely extending this buffer interval.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to improve a magazine assembly of the type defined in the introduction by simple means and so as to substantially retain its compact construction, to thereby substantially facilitate the task of the operator and to provide for the possibility of automatization of the replacement of the supply magazine.